Utah man detained in connection with the death of his wife at Mexican beach resort

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico — Mexican authorities have detained the husband of the operator of an Ogden cafe in connection with the woman's death last month at a beach resort in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo.

The Quintana Roo Attorney General's Office issued a statement Sunday saying it had detained an American man identified as "Shane Poul 'N'" for his possible role in the death of an American woman. The name and a photo of the man in the press release correspond with Shane Poulsen, husband of Ruthie Shinn, who operated Lotus Cafe in Ogden and died on Feb. 19, according to her obituary.

The press release doesn't say the man has been formally charged but refers to the woman's death as a possible "femicide." Poulsen's "legal status will be defined within the constitutional timeframe," the statement reads.

A funeral ceremony was held for Shinn, 57, last Saturday in Ogden. While her obituary says she died Feb. 19, the Quintana Roo Attorney General's Office put the date at Feb. 17.

"During her 13 years in Ogden, Ruthie cultivated deep friendships across many communities. Her warmth, candor and spirited presence left a lasting impression. The breadth of her impact in such a relatively short time stands as a testament to the vitality of her character," her obituary reads.

It says she married Poulsen in 2023, calling him "her best friend and the love of her life."

Employees of the Playa del Carmen hotel called police on Feb. 17, after the couple had been staying there. Responding police found the woman, dead, underneath a bedspread. Her body showed "visible injuries on the right arm, the back of the neck and lower extremities," that is, her legs, reads Sunday's statement.

According to a missing person flier for Poulsen issued Feb. 24 by Playa del Carmen government authorities, the man traveled from Utah to Playa del Carmen with Shinn on Feb. 9. The last time family had telephone contact with Poulsen was on Feb. 16. Family communicated with him via text on Feb. 21, the flier reads, but hadn't been able to locate him since then. Playa del Carmen is located on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, a popular international travel destination.

Family indicated that Poulsen "suffers from post-traumatic stress and they mentioned that he could be under the effects of narcotics," reads the flier.

According to Hector Andrade, director of international affairs for Playa del Carmen, Poulsen, 59, was located last Wednesday, a day after the missing person flier was issued. Speaking late last week, Andrade said he had no additional information.

"They only told us that they found this guy, that he's already in touch with his family, but I don't know anything else about that," he said.

According to the initial investigation by Quintana Roo authorities, Poulsen had asked to remain another day at the Playa del Carmen hotel where he was staying, but hotel employees told him the room was already booked by someone else. He left the hotel "without providing additional information," according to the Quintana Roo Attorney General's Office statement. He had turned in the key to the room but left some belongings behind. Poulsen had Shinn's passport when authorities located him.

The family of Shinn and Poulsen did not respond on Monday. But the Lotus Cafe posted a public statement on the cafe's Facebook page lauding Shinn.

"Ruthie was a beacon. A full, fierce, beautiful spirit. The toughest woman I know — wrapped in softness, truth and deep compassion. She lived with devotion and integrity, and she met everyone exactly where they were, offering wisdom, vulnerability, laughter and love. If you crossed her path, you were changed," reads the post, signed by her son Rocky and his partner Alesha.

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